Barcelona’s 16-year-old superstar reveals his idol alongside Lionel Messi

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has shared that he grew up looking up to former club icons  Neymar and Lionel Messi, admitting that these two players had a significant impact on him during his childhood.

“I have two football icons: Messi and Neymar,” said Yamal as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.

Yamal expressed his amazement at the number of fans he has gained in his first full season with Barcelona. 

He feels especially touched when he sees kids in his neighbourhood wearing shirts with his name on them. This brings him immense joy because it reminds him of his own childhood when he admired Messi and Neymar in the same way.

“Whenever I go to the neighbourhood and see that there are children who want to look like me or I see a child wearing my shirt. 

“It seems incredible to me because when I was little I looked at Messi or Neymar, and seeing those children now pay attention to me is something amazing,” he added.

For Yamal, Neymar’s playing style was something he admired a lot and on the other hand, he looked up to Messi because, in his eyes, Messi is the best player in the world.

“Neymar because of his amazing style, I enjoyed watching him and Messi because he is the best player in history for me.”

Are Messi and Yamal similar?

Lamine Yamal has been compared to Lionel Messi. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

When asked about any similarities between himself and Messi, Yamal pointed out that their playing styles are different. 

While he might seem similar to Messi since he also plays on the right side of the field, there are clear differences in how they play the game.

“My resemblance to Messi? I think my playing style is a little different. 

“Sometimes there are similar shots because I am left-handed and play on the right, but I think it is very difficult to look like Messi.”

A difficult season for Barcelona

Yamal also talked about his expectations for the 2022/23 season. He had high hopes for Barcelona to perform well, but he acknowledged that a lack of consistency affected their chances of winning a trophy.

“I had the highest expectations because at Barça not winning any title is something hard. 

“I think we have had many ups and downs, especially in LaLiga and we have not known how to be constant. 

“To win La Liga, the Champions League, the Copa del Rey or the Spanish Super Cup you have to be consistent, and that is what we have lacked,” he explained.

Lastly, Yamal spoke about his commitment to playing for the Spanish national team. He said he never had any doubts about his choice and always dreamed of representing Spain in major tournaments like the Euro and the World Cup.

“I have never had any doubts. I have always dreamed of playing Euro Cups and World Cups with Spain. It is what I wanted from the beginning.

“I am very excited to be able to play in this European Championship with my team and to give everything and hopefully win it.”